Rajon Rondo traveling to Florida, will rehab thumb closer to NBA bubble before rejoining team
Rajon Rondo isn’t fully recovered and ready to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers after suffering a fracture in his right thumb.
He is, however, getting in position for when he is. Literally.
Rondo will travel to Florida on Wednesday, Lakers coach Frank Vogel announced on Tuesday, to continue his rehab closer to the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World.
“He’s making his way to Florida tomorrow and will spend a certain period of time outside the bubble before he’s reintegrated inside of the bubble,” Vogel said, via ESPN.
Rondo fractured thumb in practice
Rondo suffered a fractured right thumb in one of the first practices the Lakers had inside the bubble nearly three weeks ago, and left the bubble to undergo surgery on his hand.
He was initially expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. At the time, Vogel said he was “very confident” that Rondo would be back with the team for their playoff run.
The Lakers have gone 2-1 so far since play resumed, and have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs — something they haven’t done since 2010.
The playoffs are scheduled to start on Aug. 17, which would be just more than four weeks after Rondo’s surgery. He will likely end up missing the entirety of the first round of the postseason for the Lakers, and will have to quarantine for at least four days when he does finally decide to re-enter the bubble.
Rondo was averaging 7.1 points and five assists per game off the bench when play was suspended this season, his 14th in the league. He missed several weeks last season after tearing a ligament in his right ring finger, too. The 34-year-old is in the first year of a two-year, $5 million deal with Los Angeles.
Though it’s still unclear when Rondo will be ready to get back onto the court again, his move to relocate closer to the bubble this week is a step in the right direction.
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